One of the greatest concerns among the nations we work with is how to ensure that communities support and respect marine regulations. In developing nations especially, communities often rely on marine resources to supply both daily nutrition and their economic livelihood. In coastal communities, fishing is a way of life and regulations can be seen as an intrusion into local tradition. Thus, community interactions must be important considerations in any enforcement plan.

On the eve of the International Wildlife Trade Conference in Hanoi, WildAid united more than 100 prominent Vietnamese business leaders with a pledge to never consume rhino horn or other illegal wildlife products. In a show of solidarity, the nation’s top business leaders joined our call and urged stronger enforcement and more effective wildlife conservation action.

Consumer demand for rhino horn in Vietnam has fueled crisis-level rhino poaching in South Africa. That’s why WildAid Ambassador Sir Richard Branson to fly to Ho Chi Minh City last year for the launch of “Pledge on Wildlife Conservation and Ending Demand for Rhino Horn in Vietnam” with an elite and influential group of business leaders. Since then, another 75 top CEOs and over 250 executives have also signed on.

The growing corporate support in Vietnam to end the rhino horn trade is a clear signal to private citizens that consumption must end. To ensure that their message is heard, WildAid published the list of business leaders who took the pledge with full-page advertisements in leading publications. Our Vietnam team has also been busy producing a microsite that is being promoted throughout the country supported by our continued efforts to share public service announcements and prominent billboards in major cities.

BEIJING (November 15, 2016) — Entertainment industry icons and climate activists Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron and Li Bingbing star in a groundbreaking series of public service announcements to inspire individual climate action against the backdrop of uncertainty in the environmental movement wrought by the election of Donald Trump to the White House.

WildAid is pleased to announce a new partnership with Angermeyer Cruises/ Andando Tours to protect the Galapagos marine environment, allowing visitors to be part of the solution to the Archipelago’s growing problems.

WildAid and Angermeyer Cruises/ Andando Tours have teamed up to create the Galapagos Conservation Fund to help stop some of the greatest threats to the Galapagos Islands: illegal fishing and the threat of invasive species. In a bold demonstration of commitment, Angermeyer Cruises has renamed their 173-foot luxury yacht to “WildAid’s Passion for Galapagos” and will make a $100 donation to the fund for every passenger that books a cruise on M/Y WildAid’s Passion. Besides encouraging guests to contribute, Angermeyer Cruises will also donate all proceeds from a one-week charter to the fund annually.

Known for its stunning seascapes and desert vistas, Baja California’s abundant reefs and thriving marine habitat attract both tourists seeking an escape and illegal fishers profiting off its biodiversity.

Together with partner Pronatura Noreste, WildAid is currently working in the Midriff Islands in the Sea of Cortez, an uninhabited archipelago recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its incredible marine biodiversity, to improve enforcement strategies. The initiative includes developing a comprehensive control and vigilance plan, featuring new surveillance equipment and multi-agency patrols that can be replicated throughout Mexico’s coastal protected areas.